Modern History 2015 HSC exam pack (archive)

Question 4

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• using the source and/or the text to identify the activities of women on the home front in Britain during World War 1.

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• making a clear interpretative link between the text and photo.

Question 7

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• using both Sources C and D and own knowledge to outline how attitudes to the war changed in Germany from 1914 to 1918
• using own knowledge to either add value to the information contained in the sources or clearly differentiating from that contained in the sources.

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• ensuring that their answer responds to the question, rather than simply discussing the Homefront in Germany
• referring to both sources.

Question 8

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• making a judgement about the usefulness of Sources A and C for a historian studying attitudes towards a quick victory on the Western Front
• understanding the term ‘perspective’ and, to a lesser extent, ‘reliability’.

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• avoiding simplistic generalisations such as Source A is reliable because it is a primary source
• ensuring that each of the terms is applied correctly, that is, not interchanging usefulness and reliability
• using the terms of the question to make a more explicit judgement about usefulness
• ensuring that both sources are given thoughtful consideration
• providing a judgement rather than a description of the sources
• providing too much context or background rather than answering the question.

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• making a judgement or assessment
• presenting a sophisticated argument or explanation as the question requires
• using very specific, relevant and accurate historical information.

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• providing a sustained judgement or assessment rather than a narrative or general response
• integrating specific historical detail to support the response
• making reference to the statement where it is part of the question.

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• providing a detailed, relevant and accurate description (Q18a)
• using a range of appropriate historical terms and concepts
• making an assessment with a logical and cohesive argument (Q18b)
• evaluating the significance of the personality studied (Q18b)
• making reference to the statement where it is part of the question (Q18b).

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• responding to the question rather than relying on prepared answers
• making an assessment rather than providing general statements (Q18a)
• ensuring information is relevant to the parameters of the question (Q18a)
• avoiding narrative and descriptive responses (Q18b)
• making specific reference to the statement where it is part of the question (Q18b).

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• addressing the question asked with a clear and sustained judgement
• using appropriate terms and concepts
• providing detailed, accurate historical information
• presenting a sustained and detailed assessment.

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• avoiding narrative or descriptive responses that do not make a judgement
• making reference to the statement where it is part of the question
• including relevant historical knowledge rather than making general statements.